Lock for automatic railway-switches



(No Model.)

G. BROOKE. LOOK FOR AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCHES. No. 500,796. Patented July 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERHARD BROOKE, OF ALLEGHENY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO D. CLINTON RITER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCK FOR AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,796, dated July 4, 1893. Application filed October 4, 1892. Serial No. 447,841. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GERHARD BROOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Automatic Railway- Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invertion relates to an improved switch lock, for automatic safety railway switches, and consists in certain details of construction, and combination of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved lock for safety switches,- which is constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lock, showing the altered position of the parts. Fig. 4 is an end sectional elevation of the same.

In automatic safety railway switches it is necessary to provide a lock for the switch lever that will receive and lock the said lever automatically, as the said switch is thrown by devices attached to the locomotive. Therefore to construct such a look I provide a base plate 1, of a suitable size, and provide the same with openings 2, for the purpose of attaching the same to the ties of the track. This plate 1 is provided with an oblong opening 3, and two vertical bearings 1, each of which is attached to the plate 1, by means of countersunk rivets 6. These bearings support a locking plate 7 by a transverse pin 5, and the said plate 7 consists of a piece of plate metal having a circular open recess 10, a handle 11, and a portion 9 against which the switch bar 12, strikes to automatically operate the said plate 7, when in a position such as shown at Figs.

3, and 4 on the drawings. Attached opposite to the bearings 4 is a guide 13, consisting of a piece of bent metal riveted to the base plate 1.

In operation, the lock is set as shown at Figs. 3, and 4, and when the switch is thrown 0 by the engine the lever 12 enters between the bearing 4, and the guide 13, and is brought violently in contact with the portion 9 of the locking plate 7, thereby forcing the same down and revolving the said locking plate to a position such as shown at Figs. 1, and 2, and the lever is locked therein, as the opening 10 is of such shape as to prevent the lever rebounding, and this can only be released by lifting the plate by theouter end, and revolving the same back to its former position.

Having thus described my invention, what Ic1aim, and desire to secure by Letters lPaten t, 1s-

The herein described locking device for automatic railway switches, consisting of the base plate, and means for attaching the same to the ties, the vertical bearings 4, attached to the said base plate, the lockin g plate 7, pivoted in the said bearings, the circular recess 10, formed in the said locking plate, the bane dle 11, and the guide 13, all arranged and combined for service, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto afiix my signature this 1st day of October, A. D. 1892.

GERHARD BROOKE. [L. 8.]

In presence 0f- ALBERTJ. WALKER, M. E. HARRISON. 

